Nagauta Sukeroku Appraisal

Nagauta Sukeroku Minato Fūryū Record Album

This item is a vintage Japanese record album, likely a 7-inch single or EP, featuring traditional Japanese music known as Nagauta. The album cover is predominantly white with a stylized, minimalist illustration of a Kabuki actor's face, specifically depicting the 'Kumadori' makeup used in Kabuki theater. The makeup features dramatic red lines on the white face, indicating a heroic or powerful character, with prominent black eyebrows and a somber expression. A purple headwrap or a braided element is illustrated on the upper left side of the face. Japanese characters are prominently displayed on the left side of the cover, with "長唄" (Nagauta) at the top, followed by "助六" (Sukeroku) and "都風流" (Minato Fūryū). Further text below suggests the artist(s) or performers, likely "吉住慈恭" (Yoshizumi Jigyo) and "從長幸" (Jūchō Kō). The record label's logo, "TM 5007 Toshiba", is visible in the upper right corner, indicating manufacturing by Toshiba. A small, clear sticker with pricing information further confirms its retail history. The album cover appears to be made of standard cardboard or thick paper, typical for vinyl records. While specific dimensions aren't provided, the common size for this format would be approximately 7x7 inches. Condition-wise, the cover shows some minor wear and what appears to be part of an original plastic sleeve, suggesting it has been reasonably well-preserved for its age, though slight creasing or edge wear is possible given its vintage nature. The aesthetic suggests an item from the mid-to-late 20th century, likely 1960s-1970s, given the record format and graphic style. The illustrative quality is simple yet striking, a characteristic of many record covers of that era designed to capture attention.